Business Details
46 Years
experience
Your Source for Reimagined Vintage Furniture & Home Decor
Established in 1980, When Modern Was has redefined vintage furniture retail through meticulous craftsmanship and curated design. Our team of experts, led by proprietor Dona, specializes in sourcing and reinventing unique home pieces that blend timeless artistry with modern functionality. Every item in our San Francisco showroom is crafted from solid wood with dovetail joints, ensuring durability that spans generations. We prioritize personalized service, offering tailored assistance with furniture placement, measurements, and delivery coordination. Our commitment to exceptional design extends beyond furniture, featuring globally sourced home accessories and one-of-a-kind vintage jewelry collections.With decades of experience in retail setup and visual merchandising, we transform spaces into curated environments that reflect individuality. Our dedication to quality is matched by our passion for customer satisfaction, maintaining availability to address inquiries and special requests. Through continuous exploration of new materials and techniques, we ensure our inventory remains distinctive and forward-thinking. Located in San Francisco's Noe Valley, we serve as a destination for those seeking extraordinary home decor solutions. Our reputation for excellence has been built through consistent innovation and a deep understanding of evolving design trends.
Services
Vintage Furniture Restoration
Custom Woodworking
Interior Design Consultation
Home Accessory Curation
Vintage Jewelry Collection
Details
- Year established: 1980
Highlights and features
- 40+ years curating unique vintage furniture collections
- Solid wood construction with traditional dovetail joints
- Personalized interior design consultation available
- Exclusive inventory sourced globally through expert networks
- Team includes award-winning furniture artisans and designers
Services
Vintage Furniture Restoration
Our expert artisans breathe new life into classic pieces using traditional woodworking techniques. Each restored item maintains structural integrity while gaining modern functionality. Clients benefit from our deep industry connections to source rare materials and designs.
Custom Woodworking
Crafted from solid wood with dovetail joints, our custom pieces combine heritage craftsmanship with contemporary aesthetics. Every creation undergoes rigorous quality checks to ensure lifetime durability and unique design specifications.
Interior Design Consultation
Our experienced team provides personalized guidance for furniture placement and room configuration. We analyze spatial requirements and client preferences to create functional, visually compelling environments that showcase our distinctive inventory.
People
Dona
Sole Proprietor
Retail visionary with 40+ years experience opening innovative stores across three states. Specializes in visual merchandising and furniture curation, personally overseeing inventory acquisition and store layout design.
Karen
Lead Furniture Designer
Award-winning artisan whose handcrafted furniture has gained international recognition. Develops signature pieces that blend traditional techniques with modern aesthetics, featured in global design publications.
Monique
Design Consultant
Multilingual design expert offering personalized shopping experiences. Combines European design sensibilities with practical space solutions, helping clients find distinctive pieces that reflect their individual style.
Questions
What are your current business hours?
We're open Monday-Saturday 11am-6pm and Sunday noon-5:30pm in our Noe Valley location.
Do you offer custom furniture design services?
Yes, our artisans create bespoke pieces tailored to your specifications using traditional woodworking methods.
Can you help with furniture placement planning?
Our team provides personalized consultation to optimize space layout and furniture arrangement.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept major credit cards, bank transfers, and cash payments in our San Francisco showroom.
